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Dion Charles goes back to a happy hunting ground at Shrewsbury tonight in the best form of his Bolton Wanderers career.
Ian Evatt reckons the striker, who won League One’s player of the year prize at the North West Football Awards last night, has improved his all-round game significantly in the last 12 months.
Charles has 11 goals for the season and has scored in each of his visits to Shrewsbury in the last two seasons.
His overall record for Bolton now stands at an impressive 40 strikes in 92 appearances and Evatt feels there is even more to come.
“He is improving – and if you ask Dion himself, me and the coaching staff are making him a better player,” he told The Bolton News.
“We signed him as a very good striker who could score goals at this level but I think we are seeing more from him now, different types of finishes, his box movement, choosing those moments to drop and connect, he is definitely improving and we’re really pleased with him. He has really stepped forward in this last six to 12 months.”
Part of Charles’s success this season, reasoned Evatt, is down to his partnership up front with Victor Adeboyejo.
The former Burton Albion striker has scored five goals himself – but has won over a lot of his doubters with his hard work outside the penalty box, earning a favourable comparison to a Bolton legend from his manager.
He said: “I think Victor is so under-appreciated for the work he does on and off the ball. He hasn’t got Dion’s goals but he is a real handful and a focal point for the team, a handful to mark, and he attracts bodies around him which grants Dion that extra space.
“Yes, we sign forwards to score goals, but in this system it isn’t just that.
“I know Kev Davies well and his goal record wasn’t outstanding but what he gave to Bolton as a focal point and as a functioning team was absolutely vital, I don’t think anyone could deny that.
“I think Victor is quite similar in the way he occupies opponents, the way he can hold the ball up, work tirelessly with and without the ball. It really helps the team and it should be appreciated.”
Wanderers’ three other strike options – Cameron Jerome, Dan Nlundulu and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson – have all yet to find the target in a league game this season.
The trio have had to survive mainly on appearances off the bench but each showed Evatt with their performance against Solihull Moors in the FA Cup at the weekend that they are playing well enough for their goal wait to end soon.
He added: “I thought their performances were worth a goal – Cam should definitely have had a penalty, Dan had some good moments, Jon had two cleared off the line. These things happen and if they carry on doing the right things and getting themselves into the right spaces then I know they will score goals.”
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